Marcello, an expert dog groomer, lives in a grotty seaside village near Rome. He ekes out a meagre living running petty errands for local thieves. The light in Marcello’s life is his daughter who he takes on diving trips. But the fragile ecosystem Marcello inhabits is torn to shreds when he falls under the ambit of Simone, a bullying and violent criminal. With an understated, tragicomic atmosphere and detailing the minutiae of lives on the margins, Garrone’s compelling film builds inexorably to a powerful and emotionally devastating climax. The director is aided in no small part by Marcello Fonte’s terrific central performance which deservedly earned him the Best Actor award at Cannes.